The name sharpshooter is used to refer to any of various genera and species of large

leafhopper A leafhopper is the common name for any species from the family Cicadellidae. These minute insects, colloquially known as hoppers, are plant feeders that suck plant sap from grass, shrubs, or trees. Their hind legs are modified for jumping, and ...

s in the tribe Proconiini of the family Cicadellidae. As with all cicadellids, they have piercing-sucking mouthparts and closely spaced rows of fine spines on their hind legs. The nymphs feed by inserting their needle-like mouthparts into the

xylem Xylem is one of the two types of transport tissue in vascular plants, the other being phloem. The basic function of xylem is to transport water from roots to stems and leaves, but it also transports nutrients. The word ''xylem'' is derived from ...

of the small stems on the plant where the eggs were deposited; the adults have wings and are highly mobile, and most feed on a variety of different plant species. Both nymphs and adults filter a huge volume of dilute liquid through their

digestive system The human digestive system consists of the gastrointestinal tract plus the accessory organs of digestion (the tongue, salivary glands, pancreas, liver, and gallbladder). Digestion involves the breakdown of food into smaller and smaller compone ...

to extract the trace nutrients, and much of the water and

carbohydrate In organic chemistry, a carbohydrate () is a biomolecule consisting of carbon (C), hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) atoms, usually with a hydrogen–oxygen atom ratio of 2:1 (as in water) and thus with the empirical formula (where ''m'' may o ...

s are squirted forcibly away from the body in a fine stream of droplets, thus earning them their

common name In biology, a common name of a taxon or organism (also known as a vernacular name, English name, colloquial name, country name, popular name, or farmer's name) is a name that is based on the normal language of everyday life; and is often contrast ...

. This group includes a few species which are plant pests, the most serious of which is ''

Homalodisca vitripennis The glassy-winged sharpshooter (''Homalodisca vitripennis'', formerly known as ''H. coagulata'') is a large leafhopper (family Cicadellidae), similar to other species of sharpshooter. Description These sharpshooters are about in length. Their ...

'' (the "Glassy-winged sharpshooter"). A microbial plant parasite, ''

Xylella fastidiosa ''Xylella fastidiosa'' is an aerobic, Gram-negative bacterium of the genus ''Xylella''. It is a plant pathogen, that grows in the water transport tissues of plants ( xylem vessels) and is transmitted exclusively by xylem sap-feeding insects such ...

'', is carried by this species, and is linked to many plant diseases, including phoney peach disease in the southern United States, oleander leaf scorch and

Pierce's disease ''Xylella fastidiosa'' is an aerobic, Gram-negative bacterium of the genus ''Xylella''. It is a plant pathogen, that grows in the water transport tissues of plants ( xylem vessels) and is transmitted exclusively by xylem sap-feeding insects such ...

in California, and citrus X disease (citrus variegated chlorosis) in Brazil.

Homalodisca coagulata virus-1 ''Homalodisca''Stål C (1869) ''Hemiptera Fabriciana. Fabricianska Hemipterarter, efter de Köpenhamn och Kiel förvarade typexemplaren granskade och beskrifne. 2. Kongliga Svenska Vetenskaps Akademien Handlingar'' 8(1): 1–130. is a genus of sh ...

(HoCV-1) is a sharpshooter virus, in the family Dicistroviridae. Homalodisca vitripennis - the nymph of a Sharpshooter Leafhopper - side view

Homalodisca vitripennis - the nymph of a Sharpshooter Leafhopper - top view

Genera

'' Abana'' - '' Acrobelus'' - '' Acrocampsa'' - ''

Acrogonia ''Acrogonia'' is a genus of neotropical sharpshooters A sharpshooter is one who is highly proficient at firing firearms or other projectile weapons accurately. Military units composed of sharpshooters were important factors in 19th-century co ...

'' - '' Amblydisca'' - '' Anacrocampsa'' - '' Anacuerna'' - '' Aulacizes'' - '' Catorthorrinus'' - '' Cicciana'' - '' Ciccus'' - '' Cleusiana'' - ''

Cuerna ''Cuerna'' is a genus of sharpshooters in the family Cicadellidae. There are 26 species in this genus. They can be found in North America from Canada and Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Ala ...

'' - '' Cyrtodisca'' - '' Dechacona'' - '' Depanana'' - '' Depanisca'' - '' Desamera'' - '' Deselvana'' - '' Dichrophleps'' - '' Dictyodisca'' - '' Diestostemma'' - '' Egidemia'' - '' Homalodisca'' - '' Homoscarta'' - '' Hyogonia'' - '' Ichthyobelus'' - '' Lojata'' - '' Mareba'' - '' Molomea'' - '' Ochrostacta'' - ''

Omagua Omagua or low jungle (''selva baja'' or partially '' tierra caliente'') is one of the eightPulgar Vidal, Javier: Geografía del Perú; Las Ocho Regiones Naturales del Perú. Edit. Universo S.A., Lima 1979. First Edition (his dissertation of 1940): ...

'' - '' Oncometopia'' - '' Paracrocampsa'' - '' Paraulacizes'' - '' Peltocheiras'' - ''

Phera '' Phera'' (English language:''The Return'') is a 1988 Bengali drama film directed by Buddhadeb Dasgupta based on a story of Bengali novelist Narendranath Mitra. It was entered into the 38th Berlin International Film Festival, competition sect ...

'' - '' Procama'' - '' Procandea'' - '' Proconia'' - '' Proconobola'' - '' Proconopera'' - '' Proconosama'' - '' Propectes'' - '' Pseudometopia'' - '' Pseudophera'' - '' Quichira'' - '' Rhaphirrhinus'' - '' Splonia'' - '' Strictoscarta'' - '' Tapajosa'' - '' Teletusa'' - '' Tretogonia'' - '' Yotala'' - '' Yunga'' - '' Zyzzogeton''

References

External links

sharpshooters
on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site
''Homalodisca coagulata '', glassy-winged sharpshooter
on the UF / IFAS Featured Creatures Web site
Video of Graphocephala atrapunctata from Corvallis, OR
Cicadellinae Proconiini {{Cicadellinae-stub